The bleeding skies
by Shy-phantom
Summary: The boys have ended their journey in the West, but where do they go now? Little do the companions know, the face another danger which is closer to them than they think...please read and review (no flames please)


Disclaimer: I do not own the plotline, characters or setting of this particular Manga. Nor do I own anything else you might associate with such a text.

Author's note: O.k. thought perhaps I should explain something about this fan fiction. I think mainly the little signals of things. / Flash backs and thoughts of the characters. Also, this fiction is intertwined; there are many relationships and themes incorporated into the story. Also, if I have made a mistake then please let me know through reviews or email me. With regards - Lady Shy Phantom.

The bleeding skies

Chapter one: Secrets

"Looks just like paradise, s'funny. It feels like hell to me." She scoffed, her long copper red curls hung at her waist, veiling over a long sword in the scabbard attached to her hip. The warm blood was thickly coating her palms. She smirked as she stared down at them in almost disinterest.

"You always said you liked my hands. But now...I went and bathed them in red." She almost could have laughed, such irony wasn't it? She would end up hating everything she was...just because she knew it was inevitable.

Sanzo crushed the glowing cigarette butt beneath his heal and peered out over the glistening lake. He (regrettably) let his lids droop and was tossed into the darkness of his mind. Not to worry, it was still there. Lying in the forgotten corners of his mind, the discarded beads on a broken string and the veil of beautiful golden hair. /Sanzo, you do realize.../ He spoke aloud accidentally. These were the words of his late master, the beginning of a whole sentence he would never forget.

"What did ya say Sanzo?" Goku called out from the parked Jeep.

Did I speak so loudly that the monkey heard me?

Goku stared at the priest Genjyo Sanzo from his comfortable seat in the Jeep. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. Yes, Son Goku pushed aside his desire to diminish his hunger...for now. He kept his wide, innocent, golden eyes on Sanzo. Goku could practically feel the tension and pain in the atmosphere from this distance. It throbbed within his chest this empathy for his mentor. He just wanted it to stop...right now.

"Man, I'm hungry" Said Goku out loud.

Gojyo rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his long scarlet hair.

He looked over to Hakkai with his equally dark crimson eyes and smirked. A bunch of lonely guys on a quest to save the world...this could turn out to be a little suss.He thought darkly to himself as he himself struck a match and held it to the end of his cigarette.

"Hakkai, where we off to?" He asked perching the rolled paper between his lips. "We? I thought-" He trailed off, confusion set into his features.

They had accomplished their mission...he didn't understand fully why the others wanted to stay together.

"Only for a little while I think," Goku had chirped while digging into his noodles. Hakkai could understand Goku's reasoning however; he had never been anywhere else. He was alone and couldn't exactly take care of himself.

Gojyo was intent on maintaining their friendship of course and Sanzo...well Hakkai didn't assume Sanzo would be hanging around for too long.

Abigor looked down upon the four companions and smirked to himself. This is my test Lucifer? He thought to himself and peered through the shadowed frame of wind-rustled leaves. He was careful to never underestimate his objective; he had seen

it too many times before. Over-confidence in one's self is folly, and therefore should

be kept to a minimum. Abigor had decided this was the best course of action.

He clutched the jewel at his chest and bowed his head in sorrow. This was the last time he would lose someone to underestimation.

He continued to watch his prey from the protection of the trees and shifted silently from tree to tree to get a closer look. Genjyo Sanzo the priest, son Goku the monkey king, Cho Hakkai the demon slayer and Sha Gojyo the half blood. Three of these beings were Youkai.

He shook his head and turned quickly to the presence he sensed behind him. If he weren't so controlled, he would have gasped her name right then and there. But as always, it was a mere vision of something he had lost. He always saw her, here and there from time to time. Her hands covered in blood, crimson tears escaping from the corners of her beautiful green eyes. He loved her so...

Hakkai turned quickly to set his eyes to the darkened trees and the quick shadows there. He lowered his lids and glared with mistrust beneath the monocle. He glanced back at Sanzo and noticed that his friend was once again deep within thought.

Sanzo returned Hakkai's gaze, met with it. Clashed against the demon hunter's concern. He wanted no sympathy, no trust.

He'd like to think that if the others were in peril he would walk away if he could...but somehow he doubted his nature now. He had all of these...feelings. He did not like them; he'd never really had them, not since his master's premature demise. That would explain why he was so cold all of the time. Perhaps if he let these companions of his know that he...cared for them, even if it was only a little, something would emerge from the darkness and attack them.

And Sanzo would have to watch them die.

Gojyo muttered something under his breath and retrieved some alcohol from the back of the jeep. "Doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere any time soon. Not until we've figured out where we're going and what we're doing." He said quietly. He sat by the lake and opened the bottle of beer, the gasses escaped with a 'hiss' and he took a quick but deep swig of the contents.

The other three sat beside him and there they remained in silence until Goku turned to Sanzo.

"What ya thinking about Sanzo?"

Asked Goku merrily.

"It's a secret"

He replied shortly.

((Author's note: ok, this is the first chapter. There will be more. The reason why it's so short is because I wanted to get at least some of it out on the site today and I thought of a perfect way to end the story with the association to the title of the chapter. It had to be put at the end of the chapter, I don't think it would have worked as well anywhere else. Please read and give me your opinion on it.

Regards,

The Shy Phantom))


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